Google and Kairos Power plan 500MW of nuclear power projects by 2035

US-based nuclear technology developer Kairos Power has signed an agreement with Google, which will lead to the deployment of 500MW of nuclear power projects by 2035.

Under the Master Plant Development Agreement, Kairos Power will develop a series of advanced reactor plants across various territories to supply power to Google's data centres.

Under a series of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), Kairos will provide energy and ancillary services to Google, helping the tech giant reach its decarbonisation targets.

The first of these plants will be deployed by 2030.

According to Kairos, this partnership will support their technology development towards commercialisation, with each new plant building on the learnings of previous iterations. This model-to-learn process is central to Kairos Power's development strategy, as ongoing planning, designing, building and testing allows costs to be reduced and speeds up innovation.

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Jeff Olson, Kairos Power vice president, Business Development & Finance, commented in a statement: “Having an agreement for multiple deployments is important to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear energy by demonstrating the technical and market viability of a solution critical to decarbonizing power grids while delivering much-needed energy generation and capacity.

Olson added: “This early commitment from Google provides a strong customer demand signal, which reinforces Kairos Power’s continued investment in our iterative development approach and commercial production scale-up.”

Said Mike Laufer, Kairos Power CEO and co-founder: “By coming alongside in the development phase, Google is more than just a customer. They are a partner who deeply understands our innovative approach and the potential it can deliver.”

Since 2010, Google has signed more than 115 agreements totaling over 14GW of clean energy generation capacity.

This latest agreement aligns with the company's net zero strategy according to Michael Terrell, Google senior director of Energy and Climate, who commented: “This agreement is a key part of our effort to commercialize and scale the advanced energy technologies we need to reach our net zero and 24/7 carbon-free energy goals and ensure that more communities benefit from clean and affordable power in the future.”

The Kairos Power FHR (KP-FHR) is advanced nuclear reactor technology that leverages TRISO fuel in pebble form combined with a low-pressure fluoride salt coolant. The technology uses a steam cycle to convert heat from fission into electricity and to complement renewable energy sources.

Growing interest in advanced nuclear

A recent report published by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), in partnership with the National Association of State Energy Officials, shows that advanced nuclear energy is gaining momentum as a key component of US state energy strategies.

The report anticipates “significant” project growth with Nick Myers of the Arizona Corporation Commission and vice chair of the NARUC Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues-Waste Disposal commenting: “Advanced nuclear technology is poised to be a transformative force in our energy landscape.”